Logan Stecker | M/V Kestrel | August 11th 2025 | 2:00 pm
We ventured on a long journey today. A successful venture to find killer whales that took us all the way beyond Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. We got to watch some of the T046B1s, a group of Transient Killer Whales (mammal eating ecotype) as they traveled along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Some relatives of theirs in the T046B lineage were also seen in the area further west of the 4 we watched.
This family had a member named Tl’uk who was famous for his white albino coloration but had sadly passed away. Tl’uk can be translated to ‘moon’ and has its name origin from the Nuxalk language of the Nuxalk indigenous nation in Bella Coola Valley, British Columbia. The younger brother’s name “Tide” was to honor the late older sibling as a poetic representation of the gravitational pull we feel when family has gone before us much like the pull of the moon on the tides.
We got to see these whales exploring the large water system for quite a while. This elegant group was consistent and kept giving us great views of their dorsal fins together as well as chin and tail slaps. While watching we began to be approached by a humpback from the west, but we had little time before we needed to start heading back.
In good luck, we found a humpback on the way back south of Salmon Bank! We were able to spend a good chunk of time connecting with this giant swimming beneath us before we had to leave. We had a special moment where it came to breathe while our engine was shut off and we were silent as it exhaled so crisp and loudly.
It’s such a unique experience every trip and I am truly grateful to our whales and ecosystem. What an amazing time out on the water!